137 



On January 2, 1896, Professor Townsend made an examination of the 

 condition of the weevil, and, so far as he found, all larvse in bolls were 

 then dead, while pupse and adults w^ere all alive. In spite of the mild- 

 ness of the remainder of the winter the weevils did no damage to the 

 crop of 1896, and were not found in fields in which they were present 

 the year before. In writing of this unexpected condition, on October 

 19, 1896, Professor Townsend ssljs: 



The timely drought of last of May and first of June is what killed the weevils this 

 year. 



There is therefore some doubt as to whether frosts or drought were 

 responsible for the destruction of the weevils at San Antonio in 1896. 



At Victoria, on February 17, 1903, the lowest temperature recorded 

 by the Weather Bureau report was 20° F. , but many weevils hiber- 

 nated successfully. Doubtless much lower temperatures than this 

 were experienced in more northern localities in the weevil belt, but 

 in no place have the weevils been exterminated thereby. 



A more extensive study of the effects of winter temperatures in 

 various localities in Texas and Louisiana is being made at the present 

 writing. 



EFFECT OF RAINS UPON DEVELOPMENT OF WEEVILS. 



It is often said by cotton growers that ' ' rain brings the weevils. " 

 The principal reasons for this idea are that rains, in squaring time 

 especiall}^, produce conditions greatly favoring the immediate develop- 

 ment and subsequent injury of weevils, while at the same time they 

 make more apparent the amount of injury already done. An abun- 

 dance of rain following a long dry period naturally causes great num- 

 bers of squares to fall from purely physiological causes, while at the 

 same time it knocks to the ground such previously infested squares as 

 have become weakened in their connection with the plant and which 

 would fall naturally within a few days. The large number of squares 

 to be found on the ground immediately after a storm would seem to 

 account for the prevalence of the opinion mentioned. A large degree 

 of moisture in fallen squares seems to favor directly the growth of 

 larvae within, thus producing quickly a large number of weevils ready 

 to do further injury. 



While it is a mistaken idea that rains first bring the weevils, it is 

 true that they favor weevil increase in several ways. Frequent rains 

 increase the growth of the plant and lead to the production of a larger 

 number of squares which may become infested. Driving rains knock 

 off infested squares, and by softening and moistening the food hasten 

 the development of the larvae within. Squares which are already 

 upon the ground are protected during rainy weather from sunshine 

 and drying. Eain hinders the enemies of the weevil far more than it 



